New Energy Star Ratings for TVs Announced

Photo via dailyinvention via Flickr CCEnergy Star has announced that the new 4.0 and 5.0 specifications for televisions have been set. They'll go into effect May 2010 and 2012 respectively, and the impact will save users anywhere from 40% to 65% in electricity consumption. With over 50 billion kWh of energy each year being sucked up by household television sets, these are some important changes. Currently, Energy Star rated televisions use about 30% less energy than televisions that don't make the cut. The new standards will help eek us closer to more efficient units, though how we use and power them will be a big part of cutting the carbon footprint of TVs.

The Energy Star specifications make some key improvements that will allow users to actually see the improved energy efficiency ratings. They look at On Mode power consumption (something relatively recent); help to ensure that the TV is viewed in the mode in which it qualified for the rating (because often devices are rated after being tested in their most energy sipping mode, rather than the mode in which they're used); and minimize power consumption realized when downloading program guide data.